Lithium Moonscapes
by ChocolateCarnival
Summary: The darkness of the Soul was never an easy place to survive. In a world where tragedy stains the light of the Three World's most important and revered family; there is only one hope of reprieve for them. The comfort that they can draw from the bonds binding them together irrevocably. An unexpected visit to the Human World, though, may become the two Shiba's most deserved joy.Yaoi
1. Prologue: The Silence That Speaks

Right my honeys, this is a story that I simply cannot leave alone and my other updates are going to have to wait until I've finished it. Only** I** get the right to decide what stories I write and when and I'm not going to apologize for that anymore. I'm tired of the selfishness I'm shown when others try to control and assume my updates so much. When you do that, it makes me less inclined to update a story you are wishful of. But I'm going to leave it at that, this story is one that is very dear to me and it is quite controversial because of the themes I'm working with.

I can't say too much about it, because I don't want to give too much away. I'm only going to list the warnings and so on because this story has to speak for itself. Otherwise it's meaningless if I have to explain my reasoning behind everything.

This story contains: **M/M lemons**, **incest**, **twin-cest**, a fairly **dark setting in the next part** (or light, I haven't decided), **angst**, **Reiou! Mugetsu**, **Koutaishi/Reiou! Mugetsu!Ichigo**, **AU setting that mixed with a lot of Canon facts**. A touch of **Shouta (only in appearance) and very light elements** but ONLY if I decide to explore that angle more fully. **Darker themes** related to speech impairment and trauma. This fic is NOT for the light hearted, it is HEAVY and will be DARK. It contains a set pairing between Mugetsu x Ichigo (although Ichigo is an identical twin to Mugetsu, meaning they both have black hair).

That's all I can think of now, I can't explain it more than that. What comes later, comes later and if it's not your 'cup of tea' I don't want to hear it.

Please enjoy for now, I'll see you at the end of part 1 the introduction.

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**Prologue: The Silence That Speaks**

A haunting full moon was casting beautiful silvery rays across the Reiōkyū. Igniting an iridescent shimmer across the large buildings and structures that were situated below the Reiou Daidairi (1*), the Greater Palace of the Reiou was seemingly suspended in the sky by godlike forces. The floating structure that took on the shape of a cylinder with conical tips at the top and bottom,_ still_ remained an imposing feat that should never be crossed. And with a thick wall of pure white sekkiseki encircling it, protecting its occupants from the world, there was little to no chance for any trespassers to enter the range of its influence or to overthrow the eternal throne that the revered King occupied. Charged with the startling duty of balancing Hueco Mundo, Soul Society and the Human World so that no surplus souls spilled over into the worlds of the living and dead simultaneously; it was hard to believe that a being encompassing such a vast amount of power truly existed. _His_ presence was never felt though, his influence never exerted forcefully but in the shadows he worked tirelessly to purify the flow of fate and handed off the duties that he could not do himself to the Shinigami, Humans and Hollow alike.

As a King that concealed himself in the Three Worlds for lifetimes at a time when his official presence wasn't required, it was a little known fact that the current Reiou was not actually one being but two. A thousand years before when the preceding Reiou, more well known by his Shinigami noble name, Shiba Isshin, had travelled into the Human World for a rarely gifted holiday; he had foolishly fallen in love with a noble human priestess. As a being that could shift his own soul to mimic all of three beings in the worlds that he ruled over rightfully, it hadn't been a great feat to eventually coerce her to fall in love with him as well. Their union had been wracked with political controversy though, advisors and jealous nobles seeking to shatter it apart but the unrest had quickly been dispersed when not one but two Koutaishi (2*) had been born several years later. The Royal Shiba House had been birthed identical twins, each possessing a range of power completely indiscernible and all encompassing of the worlds that their father ruled over. Their sheer presence, even at birth and still highly undeveloped, had ensured that not a single protest or deposition could ever be attempted afterwards.

They had both ascended the throne three hundred years ago when the Oyaji had decided he had had enough and that after more than three thousand years as the Reiou, he could happily pass on his duties to his heirs and live out the rest of his lifetime in the Human World close to his beloved's descendents and private grave. That was where he currently resided, in the Royal Shiba Family Mansion that had been constructed close to the small town that Kurosaki Masaki had been born in. It was also the last resting place where she had passed away after a tragedy that had occurred when the Shiba twin's had still been very young and an insane Shinigami Taichō had tried to commit deicide to ascend the Reiou's throne for himself. Even though it hadn't worked and Shiba Ichigo, the youngest of the two twins, had been the one to unconsciously obliterate the man's soul; its mark had very well been left on the then five-year-old's mind. It was something that still plagued Ichigo till this day, an event that had happened more than nine hundred years ago. In fact, he was changed irrevocably from it. Something had shifted inside the youngest twin that day, something irreparable that simply couldn't be fixed and left him with several difficulties in coping with the world around him.

Something that Shiba Mugetsu, his most beloved Onii-san, tried to shield and protect him from constantly. And it was exactly what Mugetsu was doing early that evening; a soft sigh spilling from pale lips as beautiful crimson eyes gazed contentedly at the indigo spread of the night sky where a full moon was exceedingly bright and hung low in the heavens. There was a gentle smile curling across full lips soon after that, long black bangs falling forward to splay across the bridge of his nose as it brushed low against pale cheeks and elegant fingertips caressed the armrests of his rightful throne in absent thought. Lidded crimson orbs were flickering lazily over the empty state of the Throne Room, assured movements forcing him to stand as an array of hip-length black locks, darker than midnight on a moonless night, brushed evocatively against his back and an intricate robe of black, gold and white that clung in several sensual folds to his tall and lithe frame. Dragging several meters behind him on the floor, Mugetsu absently fiddled with the thick golden obi that was settled around his waist. A large bow was tied against his right hip, soft velvet and silk brushing against the backs of his hands as long bell sleeves sought to engulf his fingers and quiet geta clad feet transversed black marble floors that glittered with lit oil candles and shimmering moonlight.

'Pardon, Heika (3*), but your advisors have not dismissed you from your duties tonight.' Frowning in irritation as a familiar figure moulded himself out of the shadows, Mugetsu could only shrug irritably as he turned his attention back to the full moon that was outside of a large window. 'Whether they've dismissed me or not, _doesn't_ make a difference. It is the full moon tonight, Ichibei-san. That means that my attention is required else where, besides I've long since finished my work here. They just want to keep me separated from my Otouto for as long as possible again, they think that he's a distraction to my work.' Frowning at the boisterous laugh that he was given in return for his paranoid words, Mugetsu paid no mind to the heavier footsteps that followed dutifully behind him as the larger framed man adopted his duty as the Royal Guard he was instated as. Although the Royal Guards weren't supposed to be working when Mugetsu was in the Throne Room himself, the black haired King knew that they were doing it as a favour to his father and protecting the being they still viewed as the young Koutaishi from the politics of the Royal Court should he get cornered and used by nobles that were seeking to extort his influence over any one of the Three Worlds.

Little did they know though, that the real power behind the twins lay solely in the being that they had long since cast aside as special and damaged after their beloved mother had been brutally murdered before the twins' innocent eyes at only five years old. Mugetsu was strong in presence and sheer power, yes, but Ichigo...his most beloved twin...there was something indiscernible in Ichigo that allowed him much more influence over the worlds and souls around him. To protect his little brother, who couldn't protect himself, the older of the two had taken up the 'Reiou' mantle during the day and allowed his Denka (4*) free reign over his power at night when the advisors left the palace and only the servants and Royal Guards were left. They had all been sworn to secrecy to conceal all they knew, especially when it concerned the youngest Koutaishi. But sometimes the King had to be extra careful. This was an arrangement that had been going on for many, many years now...even whilst their father had still been the Reiou. It had only been made official at their ascensions to the throne, though; where Mugetsu was considered the Sun of the palace and Ichigo the Moon. And when the moon shone over this dimension, the crown passes on to Ichigo as he takes on the shadowed duties that no one was supposed to know he was capable of.

'I thought I told you to look after Ichigo whenever I enter the Throne Room, Ichibei-san, not me. You know that we are leaving for the Human World tomorrow to visit the Oyaji for a yearlong holiday, Ichigo is bound to be either irritable at the change in his schedule again or too excited to sit still at the thought of visiting Tou-sama for a while.' Making his irritation known through subtle reprimanding words, Mugetsu allowed his awareness to shift and include the private family wing as he carefully felt out the reishi link that bound him to his brother's soul. At least the infinite chain that bound the twins' souls so irrevocably since they had been born, was not tainted with dark emotions and difficult anxiety again. But then again, the full moon wouldn't have been so bright and beautiful that night if his precious Otouto wasn't whimsical, content and deeply happy himself. 'Oh, hoh! But I was looking after the Denka earlier. That was until Senjumaru-san decided to rustle up some last minute Human World clothes for Ichigo's favourite spirit forms again. He seemed quite content to let her have her way. Sometimes you forget, Heika, that we are charged with protecting the both of you...no matter how strong, young or vulnerable a form you choose to embody at any given time.'

'True, but since Ichigo refuses and can't talk in anyone else's presence but my own and sometimes the Oyaji's, people tend to target him first when there's an attack. They see it as a weakness, thinking that my beloved Otouto is quite insane when he's the complete opposite. Even though Ichigo is not afraid to deal with threats on his own, I don't like exposing him to those dangers when he's seen so much carnage and death through the ages. Especially since he has trouble reigning in his powers when he gets unsettled or anxious. The flow of Ichigo's power, Ichibei-san, is directly tied to his emotions and when he's afraid...this dimension gets swallowed up by rains, hail, snow and thunderstorms so earth shattering that it can spill over into Seireitei below when it's not supposed to.' Gazing over his shoulder to make his words carry more weight, Mugetsu lifted his fingertips absently as he traced the intricate circlet that was settled upon his brow. Fashioned with the symbol of a black sun at its centre, it glinted proudly in the moonlight as he rested his hands upon the two large double doors that lead into the private family hall. 'This crown symbolizes our promise to protect the Three Realms with our very last breath, even when we have to shield the worlds we reign over from the influence of our own powers when it cannot be contained.'

'You're very protective of the young Denka, I think that you're going to disappoint all the young noble daughters looking to become the next queen.' Hissing in irritation at that, Mugetsu sent a wilful glare in the Monk of Perception's direction. 'Pardon yourself, Ichibei-san, you know that my soul is already tied irrevocably to my other half. I was born with the perks of a soul mate without even having to look for one.' And that was _all_ that Mugetsu had to say on that topic. It may have been one that was frequently approached in the Throne Room, but it was _never_ explored further than a simple question. The Reiou never allowed it and since it wasn't law that he should be wedded or procreate should he not want to, the blackette wasn't bound to fulfil the pleasures that the nobles and hated advisors sought to manipulate him into at every turn. He had Ichigo; his eternal beloved, his precious Otouto and Ichigo had him. That was all that really mattered and _all_ that would matter for all of eternity. Blinking in surprise when he realized that his thoughts had consumed him long enough without him even noticing where he was going, the black haired Reiou strained his hearing when he heard the distinctive sound of a female voice muttering threats again if Ichigo did not sit still so that she could measure and fit his clothes properly.

It seemed that he had arrived just in time to avoid a potential disaster too.

'I'll dismiss you for now then, Ichibei-san, Senjumaru-san. Thank you for looking after Ichigo until now, we'll probably leave early tomorrow through the chōkaimon (5*). I trust that Ōetsu-san will have it stabilized and ready by then.' Breathing a soft sigh of relief when the two presences disappeared in a flash of shunpo without another word except an obediently breathed 'yes, your majesty'; Mugetsu closed his eyes for several moments to collect himself before he pushed open two large doors and quickly scanned the familiar room that opened up around him. Several large windows were looking out upon the night sky, high shelves filled with endless reams of books lining the walls of the youngest Koutaishi's private library as the shoji door to Mugetsu's right led into a garden that was situated somewhere in the middle of the palace's top two floors. Becoming a sanctuary that no one but the Guards, a select few servants and the Royal Family was supposed to enter; the private family wing was a place that Mugetsu and Ichigo loved retreating to for long periods of time when neither of them were truly needed in the palace. 'Tadiama (6*), Ichigo. Are you here, Otouto? I can feel your presence, so don't try to hide from me.'

Instantly picking up on the flicker of indiscernible movement that came to a halt upon a small raised platform in the centre of the room, Mugetsu could feel his breath hitching in his chest when he noticed the form that stood still in the haunting rays of a bright moon. There was a comfortable and intricate dark blue divan behind Ichigo, a place where he quietly seated himself now as the long black haired King took in the startling sight that greeted him now. The form that Ichigo had chosen to take on that night was not one that was unexpected, but it had been a while since Mugetsu had seen him so perfectly dressed up in it and looking so content at the same time. They were identical twins, there was no doubt about that. The only way to usually tell them apart was by the beautiful chocolate brown eyes that Ichigo possessed and the strange Hollow like marking that were seared in two curving black lines below his left eye. Other than that, they were perfect doppelgangers of each other and with flowing thigh-length black hair, that was several inches longer and seemed to have much more life to it than his own; it was easy to mistake Mugetsu for Ichigo and Ichigo for Mugetsu.

However, there would be no mistaking who was who that night. Those beautiful locks of pitch was neatly drawn back by a crescent moon pin, a delicate circlet similar to his own, settled upon the centre of a furrowed forehead as large, innocent, chocolate brown eyes gazed up at him from behind messy black bangs that were brushing across soft cheeks and a whimsical smile tugged at plump, strawberry red lips. The five-year-old form that Ichigo embodied at his own will, seemed to make him look that much sweeter and more innocent in comparison to the eighteen-year-old or twelve-year-old forms he loved to portray on any given day. It was an unknown fact that just as the Reiou could imitate the beings from all Three Realms and mix them up as they wished, they could shift their ages at will to appear younger than they were to either preserve reiatsu or simply for aesthetic purposes. They were transcendent beings, time didn't touch them and they did not age beyond the years of twenty in appearance; and as a result they could only make themselves appear younger in form than what they were 'seen' as. It was a trick that Ichigo loved to play with, sometimes to distance himself when people talked to him too much or he wanted to appear like the true younger brother that he felt he was to his several minute older twin.

There was no mistaking the subtle but dark wisdom swirling in those vibrant orbs though, no matter how young Ichigo made himself appear or any way to dismiss the deep sorrow that were underlying the surface of chocolate brown eyes.

Unable to hold himself back anymore, Mugetsu walked up several steps to join Ichigo on the small platform until he could cup a child-like cheek in the palm of his hand and leant down so that their foreheads could be pressed together affectionately. 'Thank you for the full moon tonight, Otouto. It's truly beautiful.' Allowing for a tender baritone to spill passed his lips, the black haired Reiou pressed a consoling kiss against the dark crescent moon crown that was settled upon Ichigo's brow as he carefully noted the long, full, thick and pure white eyelashes that blinked indolently at his words before he was gifted a genuine smile and a much smaller hand lifted to rest upon his cheek in acceptance to his words. Those pure white eyelashes were a trait that Ichigo adopted when the moon was out in this dimension, an incarnation of his power over the lunar cycles as they blinked lazily now and eventually fluttered shut when Mugetsu rested a larger hand upon the top of a black haloed head and pulled back to hold out his hand for his little brother expectantly. When small black nailed fingertips curled with his without any further prompting, the dark haired Reiou chuckled as Ichigo fiddled with one of the intricate obis settled around his waist in irritation to the beautiful silver and black robes settled around his small frame.

'O-Okearinasai (7*)...Mu-chan.' Smiling contentedly at the barely heard whisper, Mugetsu said nothing more as he ushered his little brother down the hall and towards the private dining room. Ichigo didn't talk, his reasons were his own on that matter and little ever understood them, but only the older of two got to hear the beautiful child-like voice every once in a while or the soft sound of a silken tenor when Ichigo chose to present himself as his rightful age. It was the reason why the youngest Koutaishi was ridiculed when the Courts were in session and the nobles sought to overrun the Twin Reiou with their own selfish whims. So Mugetsu had vowed to protect his Denka from them, shielding him from their harshness by taking over the more boring duties that their father had left in their care and leaving Ichigo to do the more fluent work of the Reiou; balancing the worlds in the Hall of Souls and creating new life where it was needed and taking it away where it wasn't. They worked in tandem to one another, perfectly in sync as time moved on and there was never a need to upset the balance they had found. In fact, anyone brazen enough to seek to upset that balance, was more likely to end up on the end of Ichigo's deadly dual blades or consumed in the black fire of Mugetsu's vast reiatsu that could fill up the sky with a mere wave of his hand.

'Are you going to stay in the form when we leave tomorrow? You know that Tou-sama's going to tease you and wind you up if you do.' There was no answer to his question but the small nod and contented smile Mugetsu got in return, told the older twin exactly what he needed to know. It was his duty after all to understand his beloved Denka when no else could, to listen to the words that were whispered in his silence and the profound messages and emotional tells that they carried.

But for now, it would seem that leaving the Reiōkyū for a while wasn't such a bad idea at all. It was a well deserved break that the both of them needed.

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1* - Reiou Daidairi – The Soul King's Greater Palace

2* - Koutaishi – Crown Prince, or Crown Princes

3* - Heika – Your Majesty

4* - Denka – Your Highness, or can mean Prince

5* - Chokaimon – Great World Piercing Gate, a way to travel from the Reiokyu to the Human World but the times it opens has to synced perfectly.

6* - Tadiama - I'm home

7*- Okearinasai - Welcome home

Right, there you have it my honeys. Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. It's far from done but this is just the introduction. If you'd please be so kind as to leave me a small review for my hard work...I'd be eternally grateful to you. However, any unjust and unkind reviews will be deleted. That's all the warning I'm giving.

For now though, that's it from me. It's winter again and getting really cold but there's still much to do for today. I can't say when this will update next, or what story updates next, but I'm busy working. I'll have to see what story takes me away next.

Yours Always

Chocolate Carnival


	2. Chapter 1: The Silence That Loves

Right my honeys, this chapter is done. I've decided to keep this story open instead of keeping it to the original two-shot that I was planning to write. It's quite heavy because it'll be a dark storyline but this is only the first chapter so there has to an establishment of plot first. I'm not going to apologize for NOT doing a lemon yet; I'm tired of people only reviewing my work when there's only a lemon in it and this is written solely for me. You either get it, or you don't.

This isn't a fic that's taken at face value, you'll have to look for the deeper meanings yourself. But I'm not going to explain it anymore than this. There are no warnings for this chapter, except for the small glimpse of the darkness that this story is set to revolve around in the future. That's all that I have to say. This story is meant to speak for itself.

Please enjoy the chapter, I'll see you at the end of it. And please remember, the warnings listed in the Prologue will most likely carry on through the rest of the story...so please heed them now as they will eventually come to pass.

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**Chapter 1: The Silence That Loves**

Snow. Pure white. Shivering cold...and a blanket of softness spread endlessly beneath small sneaker-clad feet as large chocolate brown eyes gazed up at the dark overcast sky that hung low above the Human World's bustling Kurakura Town. There were several thick clouds blotting out the early morning skies, a small smile pulling whimsically across child-like strawberry lips as a seemingly five-year-old boy allowed pure white eyelashes to flutter shut the moment that a drifting snowflake touched his nose and small puffs of breath misted in the air with every soft exhale that was drawn from rested lungs. The tickling sensation of messy black bangs skittering across winter flushed cheeks and the edges of a playful and child-like black winter coat, outlining innocent features in soft shadows, as Shiba Ichigo slowly reached into the depths of his soul to dim the overwhelming rush of sensory exhaustion the Human World was forcing against the vast range of his immense powers. It was sort of like dim and bright settings on fancy 'mood' lights, the youngest Koutaishi needing several long minutes to assimilate himself into the sensation of his soul becoming fully human as he carefully shifted the makeup of his entire being so that his powers stayed just out of reach but remained close enough to draw strength from should he need it.

It was a delicate process that Ichigo struggled with a lot of the time, a tired sigh falling from parted lips now as small black nailed fingertips fisted in dark green cargo pants and he turned his divided attention to the dim shadow that his small form was throwing over the snow. So strange, he thought to himself in a moment of clarity. His fingers lifting up to trace the cat ears that were sown into the white furred hood of his dark coat as a shiver of unexpected cold chased distractedly down his spine. He was drawing the warm addition further over long thigh-length black locks, fishing out the neat tail that flowed evocative down his back so that he could pull his bound hair over his shoulder and settle the hood more firmly over his head. That was definately better, the surprisingly warm fur heating the tips of cold ears as the Second Reiou frowned in irritation at the complex clothes that Senjumaru had dressed him up in that morning. Claiming that it was fashionable to dress little children like this, where the coat's left cat-like ear was pierced with two silver loop earrings, Ichigo had had no choice but to go along with it. Usually he would have put up quite a daring struggle of lashing reiatsu to frighten the servants but the instant that he had seen Mu-chan's crimson eyes light up in affection...the youngest twin had decided to comply.

Ichigo loved to see a glimmer of affection sinking into his brother's eyes, _knowing_ that it was _him_ that had caused it with any one of his spiritual forms or any number of his quiet but mute actions. Besides, Ichigo _wouldn't_ be portraying this form if he didn't feel like worming himself closer to his Nii-san's heart through the next few days. Sadly though, because the youngest Koutaishi couldn't really speak for himself, he had been forced to invent many different ways to communicate his desires to his beloved and the people around him. And this form, the small five-year-old human form, was the one that Ichigo always chose when he wanted to bring himself closer to his twin without feeling guilty when he crawled into a warm lap or fell asleep against a strong shoulder with his nose buried in mirroring hip-length pitch black locks that always smelt of the moonless skies, orange blossom, a burning sun and strangely...falling snow. The blackette truly loved his brother, Mugetsu was the only being in the world that could hear his words without him having to speak them himself. But Ichigo would give anything just for a day where he could speak without his mind muddling his words into pure silence, broken sentences and rendered him completely incapable of expressing what he was really feeling inside.

_And so the Shadow Moon starts_, he thought mournfully. The _only_ downside of this form was that it made Ichigo much more susceptible to anxious emotions that he couldn't hide from, almost turning back time so that his adult mind was stuck in a child-like body that responded to darker and more difficult emotions with pure betrayal and crushing vulnerability. The younger in age his appearance, the easier his emotions were betrayed by gathering tears and frustrated near-inaudible whines that sometimes spilled from his lips when he couldn't give voice to anything else. Ichigo _wasn't_ silent because he wanted to be, it was because the day that he had watched as his most beloved mother was run through by a Shinigami's blade; bathing his face in the still warm droplets of her blood and filling his confused vision with the dead reflection of her once beautiful honey-brown eyes...something had snapped inside of him. His voice had been silenced after that, making him completely incapable of screaming...crying...laughing...talking and even whispering the things that he so deeply desired. It was only around Mugetsu-nii and sometimes Tou-sama, that the immovable block in his psyche lifted minutely so that a few broken words and small sentences could be whispered quietly.

_Words_ that his beloved always told him were more precious than gold―.

Quickly turning his head to the side when he could feel the distinctive approach of a concerned human, the black haired five-year-old used the back of his hand to swipe away the annoying sting that was searing the backs of his eyes and unconsciously revealed the rising anxiety that was sinking into the depth of his heart without permission. Taking a step back when the presence came much closer than he wanted them too, it was sadly too late to conceal the single warm tear that dripped down his flushed cheek just as a young woman in her early twenties entered Ichigo's vision and graciously offered her umbrella to shield him from lazy drifting snowflakes. 'Out at 5 A.M in the morning? Are you lost, little one?' Shaking his head in the negative at the question, chocolate brown eyes quickly flicked in the direction where Mugetsu was talking to Nimaiya-san about concealing his presence for the first week of their visit in the Human World. Luckily the dark skinned man had decided to tag along in a gigai this time, otherwise his beloved Mu-chan would have looked quite insane talking to thin air. Unfortunately Ichigo had forgotten just where he was standing to shift and control his powers, in the middle of Yumisawa Children's Park, very early in the morning and with the dregs of restless emotions staining his left cheek.

Oh boy, he was bound to draw more than just some unwanted attention now...especially because it was snowing that day and an unexpected sneeze just had to overwhelm his senses in the next few seconds. And the predictable next question that was coming―.

'Where are your parents?'

Was _not_ going to be easy answer at all.

Turning around so that he could point at the tall, dark haired figure that was standing mere meters behind him engrossed in quiet conversation; Ichigo couldn't help the forced smile crossing his lips to hopefully deter the brown haired woman from pursuing the line of her questions further. No such luck it would seem, though. A detectable flinch travelling through a small body when gentle fingertips rested on his shoulder and slowly began guiding him towards his twin's familiar presence. 'It's not good to stand in the snow like this, your father should take you home. You'll get sick.' Father? The Oyaji was going to be _pissed_ when he heard that someone had assumed Mugetsu was his father again. According to the Old Man, _only_ Shiba Isshin had a right to be called Ichigo's father...even when the youngest child of the Royal House could easily be mistaken for Mugetsu's 'child' when he decided to transverse any of the Three Worlds in this form. There was a secret grin curling across plush strawberry red lips however, Ichigo's lingering anxiety diming slightly in lieu of lilting amusement as a mirthful shimmer saturated chocolate brown orbs and the blackette decided to indulge the human that was unknowingly leading around the Second Reiou like a lost child.

'Excuse me, Sir. Your son seems quite lonely in the snow. I think that perhaps you should take him into the coffee shop down the street to warm up, they're already open and I know that they serve some really nice hot chocolate.' Sharing a secret glance the instant that crimson orbs glanced down at him with a brush of concern, Ichigo tapped his forefinger to his lips as he stepped away from the kind woman's grip and moulded himself to his brother's side by pressing his nose against the edges of a expensive, knee length trench coat and eagerly leaned into the warm palm that came to rest against the top of his head. Tracing a pierced cat ear playfully so that Ichigo could feel his brother's consoling touch, the smaller twin shivered softly when a very small brush of reiatsu wrapped warmly around his body and he was guided forward so that his back was pressed against black clad legs and two elegantly gloved palms curled around his shoulders in a grounding touch. 'I thank you for your concern, Miss, but there's no need to worry. We would have left now in any case, my father should be arriving to greet us soon. As for _this_ young Denka, though. I think that you just made him unbearably excited at the thought of anything connected to chocolate.'

'Let me guess, Ichi, you want some don't you?' Tipping his head back so that a pair of chocolate brown eyes could collide pleadingly with crimson red, Ichigo smiled mischievously when several long strands of Mugetsu's hair tumbled over his shoulder and brushed against his cheek when the older of the two leaned down to bring them closer together. Waiting patiently until the presence of the woman faded again, Ichigo reached small fingertips towards the hand that was curled around his left shoulder and brought it to his lips. Pressing a gentle kiss against the centre of a black leather clad palm, sharp chocolate brown eyes watched contentedly as crimson orbs lidded against his imploring gaze and a lopsided smirk curled across Mugetsu's usually stoic lips. 'Fine, Denka. Since you _always_ ask so nicely, I'm sure that the Oyaji can trace our presence to a measly coffee shop. Lazy old man, he's probably forgotten how to even feel for our reiatsu over the last few hundred years.' Allowing for a spark of pure mirth to saturate the depths of his gaze, child-like lips parted for a returned smile as he absently stepped back from his twin's all encompassing presence and shyly took in the haunting image that was standing so proudly in the falling snow of the Human World.

Dressed neatly in expensive black pants, an intricate black trench coat that tumbled to his knees in a double breasted fashion; Ichigo did not miss the subtle symbolism of ebony buttons that were inscribed with the image of a black sun. He was absently reaching black nailed fingers upwards to curl around the edges of a warm dark blue scarf in askance though, frowning confusedly when several shivers chased coldly down his spine and Ichigo realized that the reality of where he was, was starting to set in. His now human body was beginning to respond to the inherent cold of the morning, making the blackette even more aware that the small form he embodied was quite vulnerable to the elements. Mugetsu didn't seem confused by his actions however, easily obliging the smaller Reiou's unspoken request by winding an infinitely warm scarf around Ichigo's neck before curling his arms around a tiny waist and settling Ichigo against a his side so their body heat could mingle more closely. There was dark glint of playfulness colouring crimson eyes, warm lips pressing against his forehead as Ichigo was bathed in the affection that he had been unconsciously craving and receiving in large doses since the night before.

Allowing for a small contented sigh to fall from parted lips, Ichigo pressed his forehead against a warm neck and buried his nose in an array of hip length pitch black locks that he had to physically pull over Mugetsu's shoulder just so that a warm and headily familiar scent could engulf him from all sides. So warm, everything was _so_ warm and even though the darkness of his thoughts and anxiety was never far from engulfing his soul; it was moments like these that the small blackette wished could last longer than they did and that nothing would ever be able to reach him and his beloved when they were entwined so closely together. _So_ comfortingly in each other's arms that the deep bond, binding their souls so irrevocably, was practically humming with pure contentment and an understanding that only they would ever be able to experience around one another. And the instant that the presence of their Royal Guard vanished into thin air, Ichigo curled his arms around Mugetsu's neck and closed his eyes when a steady gait began to lead them in the direction of flickering lights and the scent of coffee that the smaller Reiou could never stand no matter _how_ popular is was said to have become in Seireitei over the last ten years.

'I'll indulge this little farce for now, Denka. Heaven's knows that we look like father and son but the Oyaji may not be too happy to be left out of our fun for a bit. He'll take on his rightful duty soon enough.' Ichigo knew that though, it was part of the reason why he had chosen to embody this form in the Human World in the first place. It had been more than twenty years since he had seen his father, and just like the blackette only had a few ways to express his whims and desires to his twin...there were only a few communication tells that his father had learned to interpret over the years just as well as Mugetsu had. And since he had felt quite content over the last few days at the prospect of connecting with his father again, Ichigo had decided to bathe himself in not one but two being's eternal comfort. His thoughts were quickly interrupted though, by the loud chatter of humans and the resounding noise of a bell ringing when Mugetsu pulled open the door to the small shop. Wrinkling his nose in irritation to the near overpowering scent of coffee that engulfed his entire form, Ichigo worked extra hard to dim his sensitized senses when the sensations of more than just one human souls entered the range of his power and nearly overwhelmed his consciousness instantly.

'Easy, Denka! You need to dim your sensory perception, you're not working in the Hall of Souls here! You'll burn yourself out if you try to keep the same intensity in the Human World.' Wriggling himself from Mugetsu's grasp so that he could stand on his own two feet, a dark glare collided defiantly with crimson red as a near undetectable whine of frustration spilled from strawberry red lips soon after that. Ichigo quickly averted his gaze guiltily though, when an elegant black brow rose in question to his sudden irritation and Mugetsu sighed softly as he cupped a plump cheek in the palm of his hand. Removing his gloves when he saw the subtle flinch Ichigo gave in response to the sensation of leather against his skin, pale fingertips traced the two curving black marks that were seared below Ichigo's eye in soothing conciliation. 'You've forgotten just how trained your senses are, Ichi. Did that young woman interrupt you from settling into your form?' Nodding absently at the softly spoken words, Ichigo took great comfort from the grounding touch that was resting against his cheek as he slowly but surely began to muffle his senses so that he could control his reiatsu and the indiscernible power flaring anxiously beneath his skin.

'Better?' Nodding a positive answer to the question, the small five-year-old form allowed the frown furrowing his brow to voice the discomfort that he felt in such a crowded space. But at least it didn't feel like his very soul was straining against the quantity of human souls anymore. Ichigo even followed Mugetsu gratefully, small black nailed fingertips curled in a belt loop to keep himself close as he eventually seated himself on the soft leather chair next to his twin when the hip-length blackette chose a secluded table that was in the quiet corner of the shop. Sighing softly when warm fingertips pulled the hood of his coat from his head and tugged thigh-length black locks back over Ichigo's shoulder to make him more comfortable, all that was left for the smaller Reiou was to lean into the comforting sensations of Mu-chan's steady and perfectly controlled reiatsu as they waited for their father to arrive and for the server to come back with something to warm them up. And as Ichigo finally gained something warm to wrap his cold fingers around, he could finally loosen some of the tension that was knotting his shoulders and bathe himself in the gentle peace that stepping out of the stifling Reiou Daidairi had instilled within him.

'Smiling so happily over hot chocolate, Ichigo. It's been a long time since I've seen it. Perhaps I should bribe you with treats more often.' Closing pure white eyelashes at those teasing words, the young Reiou shook his head in pure amusement as he pressed his forehead against Mugetsu's side. The sound of two silver bells was echoing through the air, the black tassels keeping his hair bound, decorated with the playful objects as Ichigo used small beckoning fingertips to call his twin closer to him. The silent whisper of plush strawberry red lips against a pale cheek had crimson eyes colliding with chocolate brown before a light of understanding shimmered brightly in their depths and Ichigo was gifted the reflected emotions that he loved to lose himself in for hours and hours on end. So beautiful, so elegant, so regal...so strong..._so_ kind. His _beloved_...his _Reiou_...and his _twin_ that Ichigo loved with more than all his heart and soul. Nothing would ever stand between them, he wouldn't allow it and if someone tried, they wouldn't be the first being that had ended up on the sharp edge of Zangetsus dual blades. For a small five-year-old, the light of pure possession, need, want, love and desire that flooded the depths of sharp chocolate brown orbs was absolutely startling.

It was a deep gaze that no human being could ever pull off, no Hollow's instinct could reflect and certainly no aloof Shinigami could ever hope to express...

'I love you, too. Ichigo.'

_Yeah, I know...but I'll never be able to say it like I truly want to and you won't be able to hear it returned either..._

_**Please forgive me, my **__**eternal beloved**__._

**...**

'Ichigo? Denka? Why so much sorrow...why are you suddenly so―?' Smiling mournfully as deep confusion stained crimson orbs at the complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree twist that the contented emotions wrapped around their soul deep bond had taken in a single instant, Ichigo laid black nailed fingertips upon pale lips to quietly silence the beautiful baritone spilling from his twin's lips. He was shifting to the side, drawing one leg up to balance against the edge of a leather chair and wrapping his arms around it so that he could carefully curl himself in a protective ball. Pressing a furrowed forehead against his knee to hopefully ease the sudden sensation of his soul shattering to thousand pieces of regret on the inside again, the small blackette fought desperately to regain control of the darkness that was seeking to swallow him whole. The one thought, the one regret...the one thing that he could never return...was enough to break the excitement Ichigo had felt over the last few days. Especially when he was so susceptible to emotions in this form. There may have been no doubt that Mugetsu knew intimately that he was loved just as much as he loved his Otouto, but the desperate _**yearning**_ inside of Ichigo to say the words out loud _without_ having to break his sentences and stutter his words would never fade.

Fuck! He could only curse himself in this! Unable to hold back the shudders that were transversing his skin when a deadly sensation of leaking reiatsu began to seep from his soul, Ichigo wasn't even startled when a resounding crack of thunder echoed deafeningly outside. The gentle palm that rubbed soothingly across his back, saturating his form in a warm reiatsu that was so familiar to him, didn't help to ease his pain this time. It only succeeded in pushing a heaving breath from struggling lungs and caused his most vital function to cease in mere seconds. Ichigo had stopped breathing, his inhalations so short and shallow that his head was starting to feel heavy and instantly set off a reaction of events that would have cracked open the sky and allowed for an all mighty storm of pure sleet and snow to fall from the very heavens had he not managed to grip onto the last tethers of his control milliseconds later. By forcing his mind to concentrate on something else, expanding the range of his senses to feel for his father's well known reiatsu just to calm himself from the deadly twist that was coiling in his stomach...Ichigo couldn't help the series of whimpers that spilled from his lips when warm arms wound tenderly around his waist and dragged him into an infinitely warm lap without second thought.

'I _won't_ let you go, Denka. So _please_ reign in your powers, you're making me worry. Tou-sama will be―.' Shaking his head in the negative vigorously to try and communicate something, anything; Ichigo fisted his fingertips in a black coat and buried his nose in a soft array of pitch black locks when a warm chin came to rest against the top of his head and a soft sigh rustled across the top of his head. Warm arms refused to let up though, simply curling more firmly around him in an attempt to shield him from the harshness of his emotions as Ichigo could do nothing but simply surrender himself to the uncontrolled sensations that were wracking against his soul in a well known pattern he could never control no matter how much he tried. It was shameful, feeling so affected by a mere sentence he could never convey but Ichigo had learned that just like his power could never be contained and controlled...his response to emotions were amplified whenever he couldn't voice what he wanted. And the sheer _frustration_ of it all, had caused many a twist in fate when he should have been able calm himself enough to not let the influence of his power spill outside of his control so wholly.

Now wasn't a time for talking, now wasn't a time for his beloved to force him to write down what was inside his head in the little notebook that Mugetsu always carried...Ichigo simply wanted to stay exactly where was; wrapped in his beloved's arms so that reality could fade away from around them again and he could draw comforted strength from the infinite control that his twin displayed so easily. Time needed to stop, perception needed to stop and just for a few seconds...Ichigo needed to mould his very soul to the other half of his existence that he _always_ felt was missing from inside of him. The pining need within him to accomplish that was astoundingly great, the Second Reiou's body betraying his emotional state again when several tears fell from the corners of haunting white lashes and disappeared into the front of a black trench coat. And just like that, the rising sensation of a warm sun slowly but surely engulfed his entire being from the inside out. Ichigo was the Moon, Mugetsu was the Sun and sometimes when the Moon was unbearably cold and alone with only his own cycles reflected upon the tides of the vast ocean of souls he was forced to balance in the ebb and flow of gravity; he needed the warmth of the sun to soothe away aches in his heart that no one was ever supposed to see or know about.

Ichigo waned, waxed, was reborn and died over and over again...that was fate...that was how his powers worked. But Mugetsu would never die out, his warmth would never fade and his presence would eternally command the very heavens that he ruled over eternally. His comfort, his heat, his eternally strong presence that locked up the immortal celestial plains...only _he_ could light up the darkness of the world. _Only_ through him could Ichigo reflect the colder and darker emotions when a shadow moon was being born in the Reiōkyū's dimension. And that was exactly what Ichigo felt happening now, their transcendent powers touching for several brief seconds so that Ichigo's Moon could fade from the skies and Mugetsu's Sun could rise over the heavens as Ichigo tipped his head back when gentle fingers nudged his chin upwards and a warm forehead pressed intimately against his own. Plump strawberry red lips slid open under the press of a knowing thumb, parting his mouth so that a slow exhale echoed the reflection of his releasing emotions the instant that beautiful crimson eyes coloured a bright and startling gold. Bleeding brightly across long, thick and full black eyelashes so that the hip-length black haired twin could personify the very dawn that had just risen over Seireitei and their beloved home.

Ichigo paid no mind to the single tear that fell from the corner of his blackening lashes, a wash of relief flowing across his soul as time seemed to speed up and Mugetsu's newly revealed golden eyelashes fluttered shut for several seconds just as they became deeply aware of a familiar scent swimming into the range of their senses and the flow of time suddenly affected their 'human' forms again. 'Gomen ne (1*), Otouto. I should have taken over from you before we left through the chōkaimon this morning. I know that it's hard to carry on our duties when we're separated from the Reiōkyū in forms like these, so I should have―.' Shaking his head in the negative, Ichigo merely turned around in a warm lap after having offered his brother another affectionate kiss; this time emboldening his actions by pressing it against soft lips as he pulled a warm cup of hot chocolate into his hands and fell back against an infinitely warm chest when his soul slowly realigned itself with his emotions and he found the control that he seemed to have been lacking. The both of them though, were quietly drawing comfort from the soft silence surrounding them until it was rudely interrupted by the call of a familiar baritone.

'I can't believe my eyes! Two delinquent sons exchanging Reiou duties in the middle of a coffee shop at five-thirty in the morning?! I'll give you some points for originality there, Mu-chan. And Ichigo, binding yourself in that form to come visit your old man. You're not going to leave me all alone here with no child-like embrace are you?' Jerking in surprise when the steady presence Ichigo had been tracking for the last few minutes suddenly lighted across his senses, dazed chocolate brown eyes flicked upwards to collide with a pair that were the exact same hue and colour as his own. The warm cup that was empty of hot chocolate now, suddenly fell from lax child-like fingers when a deep frown of confusion furrowed pitch black brows and a sharp gasp of surprise was tugged into harshly resting lungs. Twenty years apart, _twenty_ years since he had last seen this being's haunting and eternal form and the sight that greeted Ichigo now was _not_ something that he was expecting...it wasn't even something that he should be seeing at all. Where was the father that had never aged a day past twenty? A Reiou didn't simply start displaying human mortality like this, unless he was intending to die and allow his soul to become the foundation of―.

The resounding noise of shattering glass was near deafening in the small coffee shop, serving as a catalyst to break the silence that had fallen over the Royal Family when Ichigo hissed softly the moment that Mugetsu's arms wound around his waist to steady his squirming response and a haunting rush of calm reiatsu flooded the depths of his soul in mere seconds. 'Shit! What did you do, Oyaji?! Are you trying to give Ichigo a heart attack here with your changed appearance? Since when does a Reiou reflect an age passed twenty unless he decides to completely alter his soul to pass on...and become the foundations of the Reiōkyū...? You didn't; Old Man. Please tell that you didn't because I will tear you apart if you―.' Holding up a tanned hand for silence, Shiba Isshin hushed his oldest son with a mere shake of his head as he seated himself across from his children and reached his palm forward to lay it against his Ichigo's cheek to still the mournful flicker of fear he could see colouring haunting chocolate brown orbs. 'Relax will you, Mugetsu. You're unsettling your brother with your theories, if he's not already reached that conclusion himself. I _said_ that I wouldn't pass on without warning the two of you at least a few hundred years before I do; I'm not in the habit of breaking my promises.'

'Besides how can I leave like that when my youngest looks so forlorn and fearful at the mere thought of it? I'm surprised that you haven't picked up the scent of a gigai yet, it means that Urahara's been getting better at fooling the senses of even a Reiou.' Forced to trail off in his conversation when someone came to clear up the shattered remains of Ichigo's shattered cup, Isshin watched concernedly as his youngest slipped from his brother's lap and helped to gather the larger pieces of glass to ease his own regret at his startled reaction. Mugetsu was saying the words that Ichigo couldn't speak though, expressing a sincere apology to the waitress untill he eventually dipped his head beneath the table and guided Ichigo from beneath so that he could take several steps towards Isshin's side of the table. 'My soul is still the same, Ichigo, I assure you. It's only the gigai that's making me appear older. Humans are so suspicious these days, they won't accept anything less than a mortal. I'm sorry for startling you, I know that you don't like surprises. But you showed up so unexpectedly, jerking me from my sleep this morning without warning so I couldn't let you know what to expect beforehand. Can I take a happy guess though, and say that my sons will be staying in the Human World for a while?'

'For a year, Oyaji, if you don't mind our company. We need to escape the palace for a while, Ichigo's been working very hard lately and I think that he needs a little break to come and see you again. Despite him never being willing to acknowledge it, he misses your presence quite a bit.' So_ that_ was why he had been surprised that morning, well that definately changed everything for Isshin. Laying a warm palm against the top of a thigh-length black haloed head, he didn't miss the small uncertain flinch that travelled through his son's smaller form when large innocent chocolate brown eyes gazed up at him now with a haze of startled tears. 'I've forgotten how truly innocent you become when you are like this. Hush now, Ichigo, please. Your brother's words may confirm it, but I already_ know_ why you are embodying that form. So are you going to leave your Tou-chan all alone here until I take off this gigai or can I greet my child like I know he wants to be greeted?' Listening intently to the soothing lilt in that gentle baritone, Ichigo leaned into the calloused fingertips that brushed against his cheek and carefully brushed his skin to eliminate the shocked sting of tears that were clinging to the corners of black lashes.

Raising his arms in a motion that many were familiar with, the small blackette shivered softly when he was drawn into the range of his father's arms. A place that he had always found heady comfort within when Mugetsu's gentle embraces just weren't enough and he needed someone else to understand the yearning desires that he couldn't speak. The startled reaction that he had had to the older appearance Isshin now carried, seemed to flit away from his consciousness as a warm kiss was placed against the top of his head and he could only sigh in bliss when he was once again pulled onto a warm lap and settled upon a strong thigh. Lifting curious fingertips to trace the edges of a scruffy black beard in child-like wonder, Ichigo abruptly scowled in reprimand when a burst of melodic laughter echoed from Isshin's lips and defined black brows furrowed playfully when Ichigo pressed his forefinger against the centre of Isshin's forehead accusingly. Making his undue irritation known through a deadly glare though, Ichigo carefully shifted his position forward so that he could press his forehead against his father's and easily read the soft amusement swirling warmly in chocolate brown depths.

'Oh my, looking at Tou-chan with such scary eyes!' Firmly curling black nailed fingertips in the dark green jumper settled over his spiky black haired father's heart, in askance for him to slip out of his gigai; the small five-year-old blackette could only frown in confusion when a larger palm curled around his hand and forcibly turned him around so that his back was pressed against a strong chest and widened chocolate brown orbs could collide with newly revealed golden orbs that were betraying the chuckle his brother was struggling to hold back. 'Yes, yes...Otou-sama will slip out of his gigai for you later. I can see that you really don't like it at all. But for now, sit still for a while. You wouldn't want your old man to spill warm tea all over you, do you?' Shaking his head at the playful whisper that caressed his ears, Ichigo was slyly prompted to obey those words when he simply became far too content to move from where he was sitting. And when the poor waitress unlucky enough to serve them arrived with a cup of green tea; Ichigo couldn't help but cast his gaze longingly upon the hot chocolate that was still standing untouched and completely warm in front of his twin's seated form.

Elegant fingertips had been keeping it heated with a flow of unconscious power, a fact that left Ichigo to carefully calculate his movements once his father and brother seemed to become engrossed in a political discussion that didn't afford them enough attention to notice the smallest being's actions. It was quite uncommon for Ichigo to become as whimsical as the forms that he was portraying, but he had chosen to embody this form for a specific reason after all and perhaps the fact that they weren't in the Reiōkyū, where the twin Reiou were expected to conform to a strict set of rules during the days and nights, he could have some fun at his brother's expense. Startled from his actions however, when golden orbs abruptly pinned him with a well aimed glare the moment that he wrapped his fingertips around the ear of the cup...Ichigo's twin abruptly rested a restrictive palm upon the rim of his drink to keep from being stolen by small black nailed fingertips. A frown was furrowing black brows, Mugetsu tsking irritably as he pressed a warning fingertip between the centre of Ichigo's forehead. 'Nah uh, Denka. That's mine. If you want more...I can order more for you. But don't spoil your appetite, Ichi. The Oyaji is more than likely to have already set the kitchen staff to work in the mansion and serve a good breakfast.'

Ichigo's disappointment that he had been stopped, could clearly be seen in a flash of emotion that coloured chocolate brown eyes. There was a soft sigh falling from strawberry red lips, warm fingertips from behind suddenly undoing the tie that kept thigh-length hair back so that Isshin could ruffle his fingertips through long pitch black strands affectionately. 'Fighting over chocolate again, eh? I can see that, _that_ will never change between the two of you. Don't worry, my sweet little Ichigo...Daddy will make sure to ask the staff to make something sickeningly sweet for desert tonight. Heaven's knows that the both of you can never keep your hands off it.' Smiling happily at those words of promise, Ichigo tipped his head back when a warm nose buried itself in his black locks and a glint of gentle amusement coloured his father's intense brown eyes. 'Mu-chan's right though, Ichigo. I've already made sure that there will be a nice breakfast waiting for us when we return. We can leave after I've finished my tea and your brother decides to stop staring at his treat and actually drinks it.' The fingertips that had wound through fistfuls of pitch black locks, playfully pushed it over Ichigo's shoulder so that older Shiba could draw the hood of winter coat over his youngest child's head to keep the tips of cold ears warm.

'I can see that Senjumaru has gotten her hands on you this morning. I swear if that woman manages to make look ever more adorable than you already are...more than just a few of the servants are going to be fawning over my youngest today.'

* * *

A crisp winter night breeze was sneaking in from outside, a pair of shoji doors thrown open for the sight of a beautiful traditional Japanese garden to be bathed in the soft shadows of a white snowfall as pale eyelids, ringed beautifully in haunting white lashes, fluttered open lazily at the resounding call of lost souls that were caught in the clutches of the wind. Tilting his head to the side slightly to muffle the sorrowful cries that were reaching out to him in helpless despair and seeking to upset the balance he had found late that evening, Shiba Ichigo allowed a soft breath to spill from parted strawberry red lips as the very air seemed to become silent and still around him. Misty white exhales were colouring the atmosphere; the sound of bamboo fountain a constant, calm, rhythm to match his beating heart to as the ethereal soul urged himself to kneel formally in the centre of a large calligraphy room. Elegant fingertips were folded neatly in his lap, an intricate and well known set of Shodō(2*) instruments laid out before him in perfect order as the Second Reiou breathed deeply and slowly but surely began to clear his mind of everything that had happened throughout the first eventful day he had spent in Human World.

There was only the taste of sweet chocolate lingering upon his tongue, his mind seeming to close itself off from the influence of thought as the enduring bliss of peace and anxiety over the last few hours when the formal dinner in the Shiba Family Mansion had drawn to a close; filled up the depths of a slow beating heart and Ichigo prepared himself to complete the last indulgence of the day before he would turn over his soul to the heady comforts of his eternal beloveds arms. There was no child-like innocence left upon the form of his being, however. He was the near perfect doppelganger of his twin in those moments, perhaps appearing a scant three years younger, when he had shifted his soul late that afternoon at his father's request the moment that Isshin himself had revealed the true form he possessed beneath the farce of an artificial gigai. A sensual array of thick, thigh length black locks was falling all around him, spilling onto the tatami mats to encircle his lithe frame in a halo of black silk as elegant black nailed fingertips lifted to trace the centre of a rectangular piece of Mulberry paper that was placed directly in front of him. It was resting upon a dark green silk cloth, a preventative measure so that seeping ink could not stain the bamboo weave below.

The near silent sound of shifting silk though, echoed deafeningly in strained hearing as Ichigo bound back the long sleeves of an elegant dark blue and white pattered haori that was spread in evocative folds upon the floor behind him. The black string was crisscrossing his back, another slow breath escaping lush strawberry red lips the moment that chocolate brown eyes lidded against the calm scenery that was laid out before him and Ichigo absently swiped falling black strands back over his shoulder before delicately and rhythmically grinding an inkstick against the black inkstone. Skilfully measuring out the exact quantity of water that was needed to create subtle flow in his ink, the black haired Reiou was reminded once again that when practicing Shodō, the consistency of ink had to be perfect...no matter how unsettled a heart and soul was on the inside. The second that the practitioner's fingertips curled around the end of that brush, not a single reflection of unsettled emotion was to taint the depths of the calligrapher's heart. Only silence existed between the space of creation, the controlled rivulets of ink, the shifting sounds of a painting brush and the purified letters, words and sentences that were formed perfectly upon the spread of blank paper.

It was perfection, a mirror into the depths of a soul and only_ until_ Ichigo had selected the flowing kanji letters to delicately whisper the words that he himself was unable to, only then was the young Koutaishi allowed curl his fingers around the end of his brush. Not a second before and not a second after. It didn't matter if it took hours, minutes, or seconds; Ichigo _refused_ to move until he had aligned his very existence with the words that were echoing deafeningly inside of him. And so chocolate brown orbs remained hidden behind curling white lashes, slowed breaths creating a calm rhythm of in and out as it became the _only_ thing that existed for him in the flow of reality. Even though he could feel the haunting call of his beloved's soul, the gentle whisper of belonging that was beckoning him closer with the promise of infinite pleasures, Ichigo did not move. He did not shift an inch, his consciousness only falling deeper into himself as everything faded away and he waited for the spark of instinct to guide him further. Eventually reaching elegant black nailed fingertips forward to curl around the end of his brush, melancholic chocolate brown orbs fluttered open indolently at the indiscernible call of his own voice that could never be heard.

Tenderly dipping the tapered end in flowing black ink, the thigh-length blackette allowed the flickering letters in his mind to take shape upon white paper with graceful movements that spoke volumes of the control, gentleness and elegance that he displayed when wielding his Zanpactō. How a Shinigami wielded his calligraphy brush, was said to reflect the influence and sharpness of his blade. And with the pride that Ichigo held in the souls of the eternally unshakable strength birthed from his dual Zanpactō; the Reiou of the Three Worlds' perfected calligraphy over more than eight hundred years of practice...was said to be the most beautiful that ever existed. Ichigo never displayed it however, unless it was intended to convey something to those close to him that he couldn't say through the actions and communication tells he had adopted over the years. Allowing for several calm breaths to lead him through the motions of semi-cursive kanji, Ichigo reached out to his beloved's soul that night because what he was writing...was intended for crimson eyes only. The howling wind outside was cresting in tandem to the precipice of release he was working towards, breaking across his skin in freezing cold until it fell completely silent the instant that Ichigo's brush lifted from inked paper in satisfied completion.

Finishing off the beautiful semi-cursive scrip with a red seal that was inscribed with a crescent moon and the kanji for his name, Ichigo allowed a final breath of completion to spill from his lips as he rose in graceful movements and briefly bowed over his words to acknowledge the heavy weight that they were settling against the edges of his soul. They were carefully selected, flowing like the infinite power inside of him as he seared them into the backs of his eyelids and prepared himself to slip into the darkness of the night so that he could wait for his beloved to hear his call and come and find him:

Whisper to me, on this moonless night,

The fable of how the Sun loved the Moon so much,

He died each rising eventide to gift his beloved immortal life.

Geta clad footsteps were near silent upon the wraparound porch, Ichigo eventually choosing to transverse the snow covered garden outside as he came to a halt in the centre of a bridge that was spanned over a large koi pond. Winter flushed cheeks were turned towards the moonless night, Ichigo reaching his hands to his sides expectantly as he urged the hilts of his blades to materialize in the palms of his hands. There was no moon in the Human World that night, the cycles were a reflection of opposites than what they were following in the Reiōkyū. But still, Ichigo could feel the haunting caress of the shadow moon that had risen in this realm and the hesitant waning moon that was present in the skies of his true home. And if he were to strain his power, the thigh-length blackette could also feel the haunting draw upon his soul from the perpetual crescent moon that was present in the skies of Hueco Mundo. But that didn't matter, Ichigo was _not_ here to work after all...he had come to escape the expectations of the palace and to seal the influence of his powers for a while. He could only thank his father for having settled a dense barrier around the family home after all, it was _far_ too easy to call upon the restricted and dormant powers inside of him to silence the cries of the living and dead that were unbalanced here.

That task, however, was _not_ Ichigo's burden to bear. That was the Shinigami's job and going by the intensity of what he could feel more intensely now that his powers were awakened, they had better pick up their dragging feet before he lost his temper at their sheer incompetence. Quickly pushing his rising frustration aside before it could get much worse, Ichigo allowed for a soft sigh to spill from his lips as he continued to draw a settled peace from the presence of his dual blades. He was working to dim his senses methodically, knowing intimately that the rising darkness entering the range of his soul could very well upset the lingering peace and joy he had just instilled inside of himself. Tilting his head to the side though, at the first detectable sound of slow and familiar footsteps approaching him from behind; Ichigo knew that his words had finally been spoken and heard that night. He was turning around slowly, a flash of intense reiatsu echoing into the night as he let his blades go and allowed the darkness of a moonless night to display the haunting image that was so very close to Shiba Ichigo's true Reiou form. In those moments, Ichigo could fully face the very being that he could never live without...

'Mugetsu...'

'I hear you, Beloved.' Chocolate brown eyes fluttered shut the instant that warm arms wound soothingly around his waist, a warm chin coming to rest against the top of his head as the seventeen-year-old form he now embodied fit perfectly in his beloved's arms. It was getting warm inside of Ichigo again, a slow heating fire saturating his skin as he allowed his head to be tilted by pressing fingertips and gentle breaths could mingle together intimately again when a forehead came to rest against his own. 'The pleasures I gift my beloved, my Moon. May they speak of the treasured love that we share equally. Let not the heavens we rule speak of our love as a fickle passing of fading suns and dying moons. We are eternal, Beloved. Our love is immortal and upon this moonless night, where your melancholy stains your heart and your soul cries desperately for the heat of reassuring appeasement...I will _gladly_ envelope you in the pinnacle of your deepest desires as you ask.'

'My bed is always open to you, Ichigo. You know that. No matter what form you chose to embody, no matter how childish your whims may sound in the recesses of your own mind. I shall cater to them all, bend and flow to your pleasures because you _are_ my reflection, Denka. You are my soul...my life...my comfort...my pleasure...my desire...my greatest indulgence...'

'For _you_, I _give_ as I receive in return.'

* * *

1* - Gomen Ne – I'm sorry  
2* Shodō – Japanese Calligraphy

Right, that's it for now. Thank you for reading, I'm not sure what story will update next but we'll have to see. If you'd please leave me a little review for my hard work, I'd be eternally grateful to you but for now; I still have much to do before the day here is over.

Yours Always

Chocolate Carnival


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